Section 277 of 440
Complete canonical tutorial. This reader section contains the same teaching body as PWR-095 · Spatial memory. Open the Power dossier.
PWR-095 · SELF GUIDED full tutorial
Reconstruct a small layout after a delay and measure location error
Spatial memory includes location, landmark identity, route order and relative configuration. This lesson isolates location and relation memory using a small grid. The learner studies six landmarks for a fixed time, hides the layout, reconstructs it, measures positional error, waits and tries a novel layout. Repeated-scene memory and new-layout transfer are reported separately.
1 · Permission and limits
Know exactly what you may do
2 · Get ready
Gather what you need and check the starting conditions
What you need
- Two 5-by-5 grids, six distinct landmark tokens or symbols and matching blank grids.
- Timer, cover sheet, coordinate key and scoring record.
- Optional tactile grid and raised tokens.
Before you start
- Choose distinct, non-sensitive fictional landmarks.
- Fix a 60-second study interval and two-minute reconstruction interval.
- Decide whether location, identity and relation will be scored and keep the rule constant.
3 · The method
Follow these steps in order
- Label the frame
Mark north, rows and columns and place six distinct landmarks on the study grid.
Why: A common coordinate frame makes location errors measurable.
Check: Every square and landmark has a unique label.
- Bind identity to location
For each landmark, make one short relation statement that joins its identity to a coordinate and neighbour, such as “Pond at C4, east of Gate.”
Why: Identity–location binding helps distinguish a forgotten place from a token swap.
Check: Six distinct binding statements are recorded without making a story that changes the supplied layout.
- Study relations
For 60 seconds, name each location and at least two relations, such as café north of pond.
Why: Relational encoding supports reconstruction beyond a visual snapshot.
Check: All six positions and two relations are spoken or written.
- Hide completely
Cover the study grid and remove duplicate cues before starting the two-minute reconstruction.
Why: A complete hide prevents copying.
Check: No source coordinate or shadow remains visible.
- Reconstruct and commit
Place all six landmarks on a blank grid, then mark confidence for each before reveal.
Why: Committing all positions exposes omissions and swaps.
Check: Six locations and six confidence ratings are saved.
- Answer relation probes
Before revealing the key, answer four questions about north–south order, nearest neighbours and which two landmarks share a row or column.
Why: Relational probes show whether the layout survives beyond exact coordinate recall.
Check: Four answers are committed and later scored separately from token positions.
- Calibrate location confidence
Sort the six placements into low, medium and high confidence before reveal, then compare exact-position rates in those groups.
Why: Useful spatial confidence should rise with correctness rather than merely with familiarity.
Check: The learner can state whether high-confidence placements were more often exact and lowers future confidence when they were not.
- Measure errors
Reveal the key. Count exact positions, identity swaps and Manhattan distance—the horizontal plus vertical squares—from each correct position.
Why: Exact hits and distance show different aspects of error.
Check: Each landmark has exact/not exact and distance error.
- Delay and use a novel layout
After 48 hours, reconstruct the old grid without restudy, then study and reconstruct a new arrangement with the same rules.
Why: Old-layout retention and new-layout method transfer must be separated.
Check: The report contains delayed-old and novel-layout scores.
4 · Worked example
See the whole method used once
Scenario
A grid holds Gate B2, Pond C4, Tree D1, Bench E3, Café A5 and Library D5.
Walkthrough
- Luca studies all six coordinates and notes Library south of Café and Bench southwest of Library.
- He covers the grid and reconstructs all tokens in two minutes.
- Four are exact; Pond is one square west and Bench one square north.
- He records four exact, no identity swaps and median distance error zero because four of six are exact.
- Two days later he scores the old layout separately before learning a rearranged grid.
Result
Luca has a transparent location and relation score for two layouts. It does not imply generally superior memory or real-world navigation.
5 · Right and wrong
Compare correct or safer execution with the common wrong version
| Moment | Right / safer | Wrong / riskier | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study time | Use the same fixed interval. | Study until every location feels certain. | Unequal exposure makes comparisons meaningless. |
| Scoring | Count exact positions, swaps and distance. | Judge whether the sketch looks close. | Objective categories reveal different errors. |
| Retention | Test the old grid after delay before restudy. | Restudy first and call the result retention. | Restudy measures relearning. |
| Transfer | Use a newly arranged layout. | Repeat the same grid faster. | Familiar-scene improvement need not transfer. |
6 · Common mistakes
Spot the error and apply the correction
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Landmark identity and position swaps are merged. | Record the correct object in wrong square as an identity-location swap. |
| The grid rotates between study and test. | Keep north and row labels fixed. |
| Only exact hits are kept. | Also calculate horizontal-plus-vertical location error. |
| Novel layout is shown before delayed old recall. | Complete delayed retention first, then expose the new grid. |
7 · Practice
Turn the steps into a usable skill
First session
- Learn grid coordinates.
- Study one six-landmark layout for 60 seconds.
- Reconstruct for two minutes.
- Score exact, swap and distance errors.
- Write one relational encoding repair.
Repeat plan
Use two sessions per week for three weeks. Each session starts with delayed recall before restudy and includes one new layout. Keep grid size and timing fixed until novel-layout scores stabilise.
Progress when
- Exact positions, identity swaps and distance errors are all retained on two novel layouts.
- Median distance error is stable or improving.
- The learner distinguishes delayed retention from new-layout transfer.
Do not progress when
- The learner relies on visible residue, copied notes or repeated identical layouts.
- Cognitive effort causes distress or marked fatigue.
- The exercise is being used to assess a real memory concern.
8 · Check the result
Measure what changed
Exact landmark positions and location error on a novel grid.
How: Count exact locations out of six, identity swaps and horizontal-plus-vertical distance for each landmark; report median error and confidence calibration.
Good result: Every landmark receives an exact/not-exact result and distance error, identity swaps remain visible, and the delayed and novel-layout records can be reproduced from the key. Improvement is described against the learner’s matched first set; no four-of-six cutoff is a memory pass score.
This does not prove: It does not establish photographic memory, real-world wayfinding, neurological health or broad memory superiority.
Self-check
- Was the study interval fixed?
- Did the source grid stay fully hidden?
- Are exact, swap and distance errors separate?
- Was delayed old recall tested before restudy?
9 · Stop, adapt or get help
Keep the safety boundary practical
Stop and get help
- Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
- Seek clinical advice for new memory change, repeated getting lost or functional decline rather than repeating the grid.
- Do not remove normal calendars, maps or navigation supports to create a harder test.
Accessibility and adaptations
- Use raised-line grids and distinguishable tactile tokens.
- Allow verbal coordinates with a scribe.
- Use fewer landmarks as a separate baseline and progress by stable accuracy, not by removing aids.
10 · Evidence and limits
Why these instructions are here
- primary research
London taxi drivers showed exceptional environment-specific knowledge but poorer acquisition of some new visuospatial information, demonstrating specificity.
London taxi drivers and bus drivers: a structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis - primary research
Acquiring detailed London layout knowledge was associated with structural brain change, but brain volume is not an individual spatial-memory performance metric.
Acquiring “the Knowledge” of London’s layout drives structural brain changes
Limits
- Grid performance is specific to layout, timing and response format.
- Expert environment knowledge does not imply generally better new learning.
- A home score cannot diagnose memory impairment.
Open the complete canonical research register
- Primary empirical supportLimiting / contraryLondon taxi drivers and bus drivers: a structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis
Eleanor A Maguire; Katherine Woollett; Hugo J Spiers · 2006 · Primary research
- Primary empirical supportLimiting / contraryAcquiring “the Knowledge” of London’s layout drives structural brain changes
Katherine Woollett; Eleanor A Maguire · 2011 · Primary research
- Primary empirical supportLimiting / contraryMultisensory input modulates memory-guided spatial navigation in humans
Deetje Iggena; Seung-Hyun Jeung; Pauline M Maier; Christoph J Ploner; Klaus Gramann; Carsten Finke · 2023 · Primary research
Read the complete evidence interpretation on the Power dossier.
Tutorial delivery controls
Learn, adapt, troubleshoot and resume
Progress is saved only in this browser on this device.
Step-by-step learner mode
Each activity includes its success check, a nearby accessible alternative and an “I’m stuck” correction path. Alternatives preserve the target where possible; when they change the task, Titan labels them as related rather than equivalent.
Label the frame
Mark north, rows and columns and place six distinct landmarks on the study grid.
A common coordinate frame makes location errors measurable.
Every square and landmark has a unique label.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Mark north, rows and columns and place six distinct landmarks on the study grid.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The grid rotates between study and test.
Correction: Keep north and row labels fixed.
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Bind identity to location
For each landmark, make one short relation statement that joins its identity to a coordinate and neighbour, such as “Pond at C4, east of Gate.”
Identity–location binding helps distinguish a forgotten place from a token swap.
Six distinct binding statements are recorded without making a story that changes the supplied layout.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “For each landmark, make one short relation statement that joins its identity to a coordinate and neighbour, such as “Pond at C4, east of Gate.”” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “For each landmark, make one short relation statement that joins its identity to a coordinate and neighbour, such as “Pond at C4, east of Gate.”” does not yet meet this declared check: Six distinct binding statements are recorded without making a story that changes the supplied layout.
Correction: Return to the start of “Bind identity to location”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Six distinct binding statements are recorded without making a story that changes the supplied layout.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Study relations
For 60 seconds, name each location and at least two relations, such as café north of pond.
Relational encoding supports reconstruction beyond a visual snapshot.
All six positions and two relations are spoken or written.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “For 60 seconds, name each location and at least two relations, such as café north of pond.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “For 60 seconds, name each location and at least two relations, such as café north of pond.” does not yet meet this declared check: All six positions and two relations are spoken or written.
Correction: Return to the start of “Study relations”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “All six positions and two relations are spoken or written.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Hide completely
Cover the study grid and remove duplicate cues before starting the two-minute reconstruction.
A complete hide prevents copying.
No source coordinate or shadow remains visible.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Cover the study grid and remove duplicate cues before starting the two-minute reconstruction.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Cover the study grid and remove duplicate cues before starting the two-minute reconstruction.” does not yet meet this declared check: No source coordinate or shadow remains visible.
Correction: Return to the start of “Hide completely”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “No source coordinate or shadow remains visible.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Reconstruct and commit
Place all six landmarks on a blank grid, then mark confidence for each before reveal.
Committing all positions exposes omissions and swaps.
Six locations and six confidence ratings are saved.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Place all six landmarks on a blank grid, then mark confidence for each before reveal.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Place all six landmarks on a blank grid, then mark confidence for each before reveal.” does not yet meet this declared check: Six locations and six confidence ratings are saved.
Correction: Return to the start of “Reconstruct and commit”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Six locations and six confidence ratings are saved.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Answer relation probes
Before revealing the key, answer four questions about north–south order, nearest neighbours and which two landmarks share a row or column.
Relational probes show whether the layout survives beyond exact coordinate recall.
Four answers are committed and later scored separately from token positions.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Before revealing the key, answer four questions about north–south order, nearest neighbours and which two landmarks share a row or column.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Before revealing the key, answer four questions about north–south order, nearest neighbours and which two landmarks share a row or column.” does not yet meet this declared check: Four answers are committed and later scored separately from token positions.
Correction: Return to the start of “Answer relation probes”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Four answers are committed and later scored separately from token positions.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Calibrate location confidence
Sort the six placements into low, medium and high confidence before reveal, then compare exact-position rates in those groups.
Useful spatial confidence should rise with correctness rather than merely with familiarity.
The learner can state whether high-confidence placements were more often exact and lowers future confidence when they were not.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Sort the six placements into low, medium and high confidence before reveal, then compare exact-position rates in those groups.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Sort the six placements into low, medium and high confidence before reveal, then compare exact-position rates in those groups.” does not yet meet this declared check: The learner can state whether high-confidence placements were more often exact and lowers future confidence when they were not.
Correction: Return to the start of “Calibrate location confidence”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “The learner can state whether high-confidence placements were more often exact and lowers future confidence when they were not.”
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Measure errors
Reveal the key. Count exact positions, identity swaps and Manhattan distance—the horizontal plus vertical squares—from each correct position.
Exact hits and distance show different aspects of error.
Each landmark has exact/not exact and distance error.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Reveal the key. Count exact positions, identity swaps and Manhattan distance—the horizontal plus vertical squares—from each correct position.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Landmark identity and position swaps are merged.
Correction: Record the correct object in wrong square as an identity-location swap.
Possible snag: Only exact hits are kept.
Correction: Also calculate horizontal-plus-vertical location error.
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Delay and use a novel layout
After 48 hours, reconstruct the old grid without restudy, then study and reconstruct a new arrangement with the same rules.
Old-layout retention and new-layout method transfer must be separated.
The report contains delayed-old and novel-layout scores.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “After 48 hours, reconstruct the old grid without restudy, then study and reconstruct a new arrangement with the same rules.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Novel layout is shown before delayed old recall.
Correction: Complete delayed retention first, then expose the new grid.
Stop / get help: Stop for headache, visual strain, confusion, panic or marked fatigue.
Correct versus incorrect execution
These accessible process diagrams are built from the tutorial’s own right/wrong teaching. They are not anatomical illustrations and do not add technique beyond the canonical tutorial.
Use the same fixed interval.
Study until every location feels certain.
Count exact positions, swaps and distance.
Judge whether the sketch looks close.
Test the old grid after delay before restudy.
Restudy first and call the result retention.
Use a newly arranged layout.
Repeat the same grid faster.
Method-structure checklist
10 of 10 structural checks present
- Ordered, Power-specific instructions — present
- Every activity has a success check — present
- Materials or supplied records are declared — present
- Measurement or assessment rule is present — present
- Tutorial-specific troubleshooting is present — present
- Stopping or escalation boundary is present — present
- Every activity has an adjacent alternative — present
- Correct-versus-incorrect comparison is present — present
- Evidence context is bound to the Power record — present
- Planning metadata is present — present
The method-readiness band and presence checklist assess tutorial presentation and are separate from evidence quality for the underlying Power. They are automated editorial aids, not human approval.
Manual editorial sign-off: Pending. This tutorial must not display a human-approved state until an identified editor signs the exact content hash.